APPLY FOR VEGETABLE SEED GRANTS
2021 Deadline for Application: Oct 30, 2021
Rotarians and friends of Rotarians: do you have an idea for a vegetable gardening program to fight hunger in the developing world? Need seeds? We can help!
The Rotarians Against Hunger project is led by US Western North Carolina-based Rotary Clubs in Rotary District 7670. The project gives vegetable seeds to fellow Rotarians worldwide for nutrition, education, and income development projects.
Rotarians partner with NGOs or other community groups who distribute seed. Projects give training to help people use the seeds effectively. Read about one successful Rotarians Against Hunger project here.
Program Basics
- Apply to receive seeds, including inspection and shipping costs (only within the continental U.S).
- We don’t give cash.
- Apply for 1-5 cartons of seed. Each carton holds about 1000 home garden-size packets of vegetable seeds, enough for 100 households to plant a garden.
- Seeds are provided by Seed Programs International (SPI) and shipped from Michigan and North Carolina.
- SPI staff will work with you and your in-country partners to choose the suitable seed types for the climate, culture, and program goals.
- Projects may work on the level of households, villages, microenterprise projects, farmer cooperatives, school gardens, orphanages, IDP/refugee camps, or other settings.
How We Choose Projects
Applications are competitively evaluated based on these criteria:
- Demonstrated Need. Nutrition is a community need; vegetable growing is a promising strategy to address that need.
- Local Sourcing Not Possible. Appropriate, quality vegetable seeds are not available locally to the project.
- Partnerships. Project applicants should be a Rotary club or district. Preference will be given to projects which have strong partnerships with local NGOs or other community groups. The partner group must effectively manage seed distribution and provide consistent program support, and monitoring in the community served.
- Location. Rotarians Against Hunger seeks to give seeds for a mix of worldwide locations, including the U.S. The regulatory environment for importing seeds may make some destination countries less feasible. Contact SPI to learn more about this.
- Match. We do not want to be the sole supporter of a project. Applying Rotarians should already be invested in the community or plan to provide items or training that complement the seed use. Examples include tools and materials, soil inputs, water access, training cost, local travel for distribution, etc.
- Customs and Import. Applicants or their local partners are responsible for the costs of clearing seed shipments from customs and local import permit fees.
- Reporting Plan. By applying for and receiving seeds, you agree to report to Rotarians Against Hunger and SPI. Reports cover project results, including stories, photos, outcomes, successes, and challenges. Your reports give us material for publicity and program improvement.
- Shipping. Seed Programs International is shipping only within the continental U.S. For projects outside the U.S., the applying Rotarian is responsible for shipping the seeds to the final destination.
Please note: if you are a returning applicant who has received seeds before, we may choose to reduce your quantity to support others. We hope that the local clubs or institutions, or growers, seeing repeated value in the program, can choose to begin to invest their funds in sourcing seed locally or from SPI.
To Apply
Complete your online application. Our deadline is October 30, 2021. We will review applications as they come in. We may contact you sooner with clarifying questions about your project. Thank you for your application to partner with the WNC Rotary district.
This application is also available as a Word document.
Questions? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Funding for seeds is available due to the generosity of Rotarians and many other community members across our District and beyond. Logistics support is provided by Seed Programs International. See rotariansagainsthunger.org for more details.
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